


Reverberations

by ThatDastardCerberus



Series: Frequencies [1]
Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Human, Alternate Universe - Reincarnation, F/F, F/M, Gen, More tags will be added as the story progresses, Reincarnation, canon compliant kinda, will tag every character that shows up in story
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-21
Updated: 2019-12-28
Packaged: 2020-12-27 07:26:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,157
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21114986
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThatDastardCerberus/pseuds/ThatDastardCerberus
Summary: Four girls, born from the hopes of a broken family and the wish of one gem hybrid. Admittedly, this wouldn't be the first time the Crystal Gems had to raise a gem hybrid. Even with the void Steven left, life continues as usual. Just with the additional of four Diamond-human girls to watch over and guide. Reincarnation story.





	1. We

**Author's Note:**

> Rebooted from the original fic! I hope you all liked the new version. Don't worry about the Crystal Gem parts that were cut out of this story. That'll be saved up for a side story that'll focus on the Crystal Gems.
> 
> Also if you're curious how the Diamond human hybrids look like, check out this artwork done by the talented chekhov on tumblr! I colored them in myself with their approval; https://msbeastlyeevee.tumblr.com/post/187566862327/i-finally-decided-to-post-my-reverberations-girls

It’s unusually quiet this morning, Blanca noted as she turns a page in the book in front of her. The only noise she can hear is the sizzling sound of breakfast and Pearl’s faint humming in the kitchen. Not that Blanca minded, since it’s rarely ever quiet in the large house, home at at least ten people for as long as she could recall.

And well, she might only be 7 years old, she possessed enough awareness to notice how noisy a place like this could get. It was a welcome change in pace to the usual sounds of-

“FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL!” Ah, and there was the disruption. Blanca glanced over her shoulder as the sounds of feet pounded down the stairs, before Seren, her younger sister, flung herself over the bannister, floating down to the ground before bolting towards the dinner table.

Blanca sighed, pulling the chapter book closer to her. Well, the silence was gone, and it was back to the mundane and typical morning. Pearl laughed, turning to greet Seren with a smile. “Someone’s excited.”

“Yeah!” Seren slapped her hands on the table, right next to Blanca, who flinched in response. “I’ve never been to school before! What are we going to do? Are there other people going to school? What are we going to learn—”

“Settle down, Spunky, or your mouth will fall off.” A large gray hand ruffled Seren’s red curls roughly, causing the girl to laugh and try to swat the hand away. “Bismuth, stop!”

Bismuth snorted, but relented. “You act like you’ve only been homeschooled.”

“That’s cuz we were!” Seren retorted, “cuz you were guys were scared Xanthe would blow something up or somethin’.”

“Don’t you mean you’d blow something up?” Xanthe retorted from the bannister, her golden locks sticking out in multiple ways. Seren merely responded back by sticking out her tongue, with Xanthe lazily mirroring the expression.

Xanthe suddenly felt something bump against her side, turning to see Nila, with her eyes barely open, leaning against the blonde, looking like she was about to fall asleep again. Xanthe opened her mouth to protest, but Garnet appeared behind the dark-haired girl, gingerly straightening her up and patting her shoulder. “Nila, you need to wake up. School’s going to start soon.”

“O-oh, okay,” Nila mumbled, allowing Garnet to guide her down the rest of the stairs. Xanthe stifled a yawn before following the door, plopping unceremoniously in a chair across from Blanca. The pale-haired girl sighed, closing her book in defeat. And now the noise had returned in full swing. And just when she was getting to the good part.

Garnet nudged Nila into a chair next to Xanthe before beckoning the still-standing Seren to take a seat. “While Pearl is finishing breakfast, why don’t I tell you girls a little story?”

Blanca glanced at the large portrait that hang in the living room. “You mean the story of Steven? You already told us that one.”

Garnet chuckled. “Yes, but that’s not the story I’m telling you this time.” She gently nudged Nila, who was again nodding off. “I’m going to tell you the story of the day you girls were brought into this world.”


	2. Are in the Future

“I’m going to tell you the story of the day you girls were brought into this world.”

Seren eagerly pulled Nila down, jolting the girl out of her tired state. Even Xanthe seemed to have perked up a bit as Garnet removed her visor to look down fondly at the four girls.

“A long time ago, before gems came to Earth, there were four gems, each unique in their own way. They were a family, yet they were also very lonely. In time, they drifted further apart, until one day, one of them disappeared, never to be seen again.”

She paused for a moment, gauging their reactions. As she had hoped, they were captivated, with Seren and Nila in particular wearing looks of concern. Continuing her serious tone, Garnet continued, “The other three longed to see her once again. But they could not find her. Full of sorrow, they had just about given up hope when a human boy came to them.

‘Why are you three so sad?’

‘Oh sweet child of the Earth,’ one of them said, ‘we mourn the loss of our own. She has gone away, and we cannot find her. We fear she had left us forever, and we cannot bear to be without her.’

“Then the boy told them there was a way to reunite them. However, there was a high cost; the loss of their pure gem status. They would no longer be gems but something else; human beings.

“The three gems do not hesitate to accept the offer. Time past, and within the foundation where they last stood, four bubbles containing tiny, cute babies appeared.”

Grinning, Garnet lightly booped Nila’s nose. Seren stood up in her chair, bouncing on the balls of her feet. “Oh oh, and that’s when we were born, right!?”

“Yes, you four were born,” Garnet replied, ruffling Seren’s hair before easing her back in the chair.

“And that boy,” Blanca asked, “that was Steven, right?”

Pearl nodded. “Oh yes! Steven happened to possess the gem that was lost and returned her back.”

Xanthe raised an eyebrow. “Just happened to have it? Seriously?”

Garnet chuckled while placing a hand on Pearl’s shoulder. “Well, it’s more complicated than that. All I can tell you is that that gem was given to Steven, as a final act of love, from someone who we all love dearly. And then, he returned it.” She gesturing to the entrance, where two portraits hung. One featuring a serene looking woman, and another featuring a much older man, gray speckled all over his dark curls and laughing lines around his mouth.

“Oooooh.”

Blanca cleared her throat softly before asking, “So what were these gems like? What were we like before?”

Garnet paused, cupping her chin for a moment. “Well, each one had a unique trait. One was strong,” she ruffled Xanthe’s hair, causing the blonde to grumble in embarrassment.

“Another was gentle,” Garnet once again booped Nila’s nose, this time causing Nila to giggle softly.

Seren was already bouncing in her seat when Garnet approached her. Laughing, Garnet rematerialized her visor and patted Seren’s head, “And another was kind.” Garnet then smirked, pushing her visor down and winking at Seren. “And maybe a little energetic too.”

“And the final one,” Blanca was quiet when Garnet paused in front of her, hand half reaching out before retracting. The silence stretched seemingly forever before Garnet finally broke the silence and smiled. “The final one was wise.”

Blanca blinked before nodding. Garnet returned the nod (_Was that the right thing to say? I hope so. We can’t mess this up._) before Pearl clapped her hands. “Alright, girls! Breakfast time, and then get ready for your first day of school!”

* * *

“Why go to school? I can just learn everything from Pearl or you,” Xanthe grumbled, folding her arms in front of her. Clicked her tongue, Bismuth replied, “You meatballs gotta learn to be around other people, and that ain’t something I or anyone else can teach you.”

Xanthe groaned loudly in response. Bismuth smirked and shook her head.

“You girls will really love it. Your first day in elementary school, ooooh I can hardly wait to hear about all the friends you’ll make!” Pearl chattered excitedly, completely oblivious to the irritated Xanthe.

“And hey, you get to be around meatballs your own age for once.” Bismuth added, easing slowly on the brakes as the van parked in front of the tall, brick-colored building. Public schooling had been Pearl’s insistence, as she realized that the girls needed to be properly socialized and acclimated to human society, and Bismuth fully agreed with the concept. Besides, it would be a perfect opportunity for the girls to make friends outside of the Crystal Gems and each other.

Xanthe crossed her arms, pouting in the backseat. “School sounds dumb. I don’t need friends or whatever. Or being in that dumb place.”

“I think school sounds fun,” Nila replied softly, turning to Seren, who was eagerly bouncing in her seat. “You get to learn new things and, uh, I just hope everyone’s nice.”

Blanca, who had been sitting quietly besides her, nodded, before turning her attention back to the window to gaze outside.

“First! Day! Of! School!” Seren squealed in a sing song voice, emphasizing every word with a bounce. Pearl couldn’t help the chuckle that left her lips. Bismuth grinned and flung open the door of the vehicle. “Alright, meatballs, go out there and make a name for yourselves!”

After ushering the girls towards the building (and several times grabbing Seren by her hood to prevent her from bolting), Bismuth opened the doors to the hallway. Several children were already in the main hall, along with some parents chattering amongst themselves.

“Hey, Pearl, do gems go to school, too?”

“Hmm?” Pearl lowered herself to Seren’s eye level, following the girl’s brown eyes towards two boys. They looked just like every other child in the building, at least to Pearl, with the stark exception of ruby shards on their foreheads. Pearl looked back at the former Diamond, before internally sighing. Of course, the girls would start to notice differences. Steven had noticed differences too, asking Greg and the Gems why he had a gem on his stomach while other children didn’t. And to the girls, well, it was the opposite.

“Oh no, Seren,” Pearl stated, gently ruffling the girl’s hair. “Those boys are hybrids, just like you and your sisters. They just happen to possess a gem shard. A small difference, really.”

“Oh.” Seren blinked, then glanced over her shoulder at the two boys. “So, they’re like us? Human and gem mashed together and stuff?”

Pearl nodded. “Yes, exactly. And I’m guessing they’ll be your classmates too. You might even meet other hybrids, who knows! Isn’t that exciting?”

Seren’s brow furrowed. “But, how come they got gems? Like, did someone give them their gem like what happened with Steven? Do they gotta return the gem too, or do they get to keep it—”

“Hey Spunky, slow down! You’re not even in class yet!” Bismuth scooped the redhead up in her arms, causing the girl to yelp before bursting into laughter.

Pearl placed one hand on Bismuth’s arm and another on Seren’s head. “One day you’ll understand. But right now, you should focus on getting to class.”

“Okay then!” Seren jumped out of Bismuth’s arms and ran towards her future classmates. “See ya later!”

* * *

Second grade was way cooler than Seren had originally imagined! Sure, she had hoped there was some sword fighting or using her gem powers (what little she had), but it was so exciting to hear the teacher explain to the class what would be happening for the next year!

The best part had to be recess, since it allowed the students to play with each other. Seren already met two people who she could call friends. Two boys, named Marlin and Baxter. They said they were rubies, according to the gem shard in their foreheads.

There was, however, a slight problem.

“Where’s your gem?”

Seren halted, her legs hooked over the monkey bars while her hands were grasping the ladder. “My gem? I don’t got one.”

Marlin frowned. “But our mom said all gemans have a gem.”

“Geman? I never heard of that.”

Baxter snorted. “Did you live under a rock? It’s what we are, duh.”

Seren let go of the ladder, now hanging upside down from the bars. “I live with my family. They’re all gems except my sisters.”

“So you know gems all got gemstones, right?” Marlin asked. When Seren nodded, Marlin turned to Baxter and shrugged.

Baxter cupped his chin before speaking, “Uh, they never told you about your gem?”

Seren shook her head. “Nope. All I got in this cool birthmark.” With that, she pointed at her stomach. Baxter stared at where she was pointing at. “Huh. It looks like a flower.”

Marlin shook his head. “No way, it looks a star.”

Baxter scoffed. “You’re daft.”

“What’s daft?” Seren eagerly asked.

“Means dumb,” Marlin replied. “And I’m not daft, egghead! You just need glasses!”

Seren watched quietly as the two bickered before piping up, “Well, I could ask them later! Pearl’s really smart, and so is Garnet, Bismuth, Peridot, Lapis, and Amethyst doesn’t act like it, but she is smart too!”

Baxter waved his hands. “Whoa, whoa, they all live with you?”

Seren nodded eagerly. “You mean you don’t have gems taking care of you?”

Marlin shook his head. “No. We got our mom and dad.”

“We got a neighbor who’s a gem,” Baxter added. “But she only babysits us cuz our parents pay her. Her name’s Moss Agate.”

“She’s nice, she’s got a lot of ducks in her backyard.”

“Cool!” Seren squealed, dropping down from the monkey bars. Both boys gasped when they saw her start to fall, only to gawk in awe as she gently floated to the ground. “I love ducks!”

Marlin and Baxter glanced at each other before they both asked, “How’d you do that?”

“Do what?” Seren asked.

Marlin gestured at her with his hands. “You flew? I think. You didn’t fall, for sure.”

Baxter nodded. “Nope, you floated or something.”

Seren giggled in response. “Oh yeah, I can do that. It’s one of my gem powers!”

Baxter and Marlin shared another glance before their faces broke into wide grins. “What else can you do?”

* * *

Xanthe knew she’d hate her first day of school, and she was right. It was boring, practicing sitting in circles, pulling chairs up and back, walking around the school, reading big blocky books, counting. All boring! She was just glad that the school day finally ended, and she could get out of that stuffy, stupid building.

She sat on top of one of the long tubes in the “training field,” kicking her feet out idly. She wished she didn’t have to go back to school, or, better yet, she wished school was at Bismuth’s forge. That place was where real learning happened! She got to see Bismuth turn clumps of rock into cool weapons, and Xanthe knew all kinds of types. Rapiers, scythes, glaives, sabers, lances, arrows, chain sickles, axes, the list went on!

And Bismuth herself was pretty cool, too, even if she did call Xanthe a pebble. She had started telling the blonde about the various fights she had gotten into, how she used to beat up bad guys and make them run crying back to Homeworld. Honestly, why couldn’t school be more like that? Xanthe wanted to learn how to make cool weapons, not how to sing the alphabet song.

“Gotcha!” A hand jerked out of the small window beneath the tube, grabbing Xanthe’s sandaled foot. She yelped and flung herself off the tube, sparks flying around her. Landing face first, Xanthe felt her temper rise as she heard laughter behind her. Springing up, she glared daggers at Seren’s smiling face, who seemed clearly proud of her prank.

“You were scared~” Seren sang, sticking her tongue out with a giggle. Xanthe roared in frustration and attempted lurch forward at her—

Only to be picked up by the scruff of her neck by a large hand.

“Hey,” she yelped, kicking her legs out wildly, all the while growing angrier at Seren’s continued laughter. Bismuth, Xanthe’s captor, clicked her tongue. “Hey, yourself. You know you can’t fight your sister. It ain’t very nice.”

“She started it!” Xanthe snapped, squirming harder in Bismuth’s grasp. Bismuth only sighed, “And you don’t have to finish it. C’mon, dinner’s ready. Spunky, that means you too.”

“Oh, okay.” With that, Seren disappeared back into the tube, exiting out of one side and scampering down the hill towards the house. When Bismuth lost sight of the child, she turned her attention back to the still squirming Xanthe, who was huffing loudly and swinging her arms. Bismuth chuckled. “Geez, you just don’t know when to give up, do you, Sparky?”

Xanthe merely grunted in response, her huffing slowly into panting. Poor pebble was tiring herself out rapidly with all that flailing about. Bismuth sighed, shifting her hold on the child so both hands were holding Xanthe up. Lifting her to the gem’s eye level, Bismuth added, “You also got quite the temper, for such a little pebble.”

“Not little,” Xanthe grumbled. “Seren’s the smallest.”

Bismuth grinned. “You’re pretty little compared to the rest of us, ‘specially me.”

Xanthe merely huffed loudly, crossing her arms and puffing her chest out. Bismuth would have burst out laughing if a nagging thought hadn’t struck. Pearl said every day seemed like further confirmation that the Diamonds had truly been reincarnated into these small human vessels. Every day, their powers grew, and so did they. They would learn more about the world they were reborn into, and what society they had left behind. Already Bismuth could see the beginnings of the upper crust she hated so much, the notorious Yellow Diamond, who used her raw strength to overwhelm and subdue others.

Bismuth found herself frowning slightly, her thoughts darkening. Despite Steven’s best intentions, change wasn’t easy for gems to grasp. Even now, with the Diamonds’ Empire gone, many gems continued on as if nothing changed. Many still followed the caste system they had been created in, and many hadn’t taken the news of the Diamonds’ departure happily. Even Bismuth herself, she had difficult breaking old habits, and she knew if nothing was done… if nothing really changed, Xanthe would become as violent and warlike as her prior self.

“Bismuth? …Are you mad?”

“Huh?” Bismuth refocused her eyes on Xanthe, noticing the look of concern and… fear? Was this little pebble afraid of Bismuth? Bismuth let out a soft exhale, chuckling under her breath. She pulled Xanthe toward herself, letting her rest against her shoulder. “Nah, I’m not mad. Just worried, s’all.”

“Bout what?”

Walking down the hill, the gem thought. Bismuth could say a lot, but she knew Pearl had wanted to give the girls a fresh start, away from expectations, away from the horrors of their past, far away from the cold isolation that was Homeworld. “Bunch of adult stuff. Stuff you’d find boring, really.”

“So, you’re not mad at me?”

Bismuth didn’t answer, not immediately. Instead, when she finally opened her mouth, she chose her words carefully. “How bout after school tomorrow, I teach you how to box? Consider it a little like extra training, only you use your fists to show you mean bismuth.”

Xanthe groaned at the terrible pun, and Bismuth grinned widely. Some things need to change, she knew, but there were also things she didn’t want to change. Like seeing the little mini tyrants laughing like the children they were supposed to be, and their reactions to her puns.


End file.
